LEXINGTON, Kentucky (WLEX) – A dog with a wheelchair. It may not sound normal, but for a Lexington family it was the only option.

It’s something that is hard to watch, especially if it’s your own dog.

“He fell down the whole set of stairs and the next day his feet were sort of dragging and we realized [what] had happened to him,” said owner, Ryder.

9-year-old Cacious was diagnosed with degenerative mylopathy last Fall.

“We knew the next step was to get him some wheels,” said Lyssa McConathy, Ryder’s mother.

It was 8-year-old Ryder, who considers the dog another brother, who decided to raise money to buy the several hundred dollar wheelchair needed… by selling key chains and magnets.

Ryder raised $315 in a matter of days. More than enough to buy Cash his first set of wheels.

The McConathy family says the leftover money raised will be donated to the Humane Society.

While Cacious is still getting used to the apparatus, he’s just a few steps behind Ryder when stepping out into the yard.

“Hopefully this will give him a lot more freedom and mobility and he’ll be with us a lot longer,” Lyssa said.

Mom, Lyssa McConathy, says the old pup isn’t in any pain and just as playful as ever. As she looks back at the video she took the first time he was on all fours again, she says it’s hard not to get emotional.

Those ever-lasting memories that wouldn’t have been possible without an 8-year-old determined to make a difference.

“It’s just his nature. He’s always trying to think of ways to help,” Lyssa said.

And now the boxer that used to run faster than anyone, is rolling alongside them.